HeartSmart Technologies Announces New Eye Care Division Launch

Jan. 4, 2011 - PRLog -- HeartSmart Technologies officially announced the launch of a new Eye Care division today.  The new division will provide eye care professionals with the diagnostic tools necessary to easily detect the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases which according to the American Heart Association is the number one killer of men and women in the United States and affects over 81 million people.  “We’re thrilled to be able to provide the HeartSmartIMTplusTM solution to Ophthalmologists and Optometrists in an effort to bring cardiovascular risk awareness to their patients” commented Michael H. McCann, Chief Executive Officer of HeartSmart Technologies.

HeartSmartIMTplusTM is a non invasive screening that utilizes ultrasound technology to image and measure the carotid arteries, the major arteries that supply blood to the brain and eyes.  By analyzing the images of the “IMT” or Intimal Medial Thickness of the carotid artery walls and correlating the results with HeartSmart’s proprietary 40,000+ IMT image database, HeartSmart is able to assess an individual patient’s risk of a coronary event such as a heart attack or stroke.  Patients who undergo a HeartSmartIMTplusTM screening receive a consumer friendly report that “grades” their risk of disease from “A to E”.  Because cardiovascular disease has been shown to be reversible through diet and exercise, patients can “track” their progress (regression of the disease) by monitoring their HeartSmartIMTplusTM grade.  

The HeartSmart Technologies Eye Care Division will be led by Blaine C. Ung, a veteran executive with over 23 years of experience in sales and marketing including several years within the Optometric industry.  “Because of the sheer number of patients Optometrists and Ophthalmologists see on an annual basis, they are ideally positioned to provide patient education on the devastating impact of heart attacks and strokes.”  According to the American Optometric Association 2009 Eye-Q survey, only 20% of those surveyed knew that cardiovascular diseases could be detected by a comprehensive eye exam.  In addition, the American Heart Association estimates that the total direct and indirect cost of cardiovascular disease will exceed $503.2 billion in 2010, higher than all forms of cancer combined.  

Optometrists can learn more about HeartSmart in a presentation titled “The Role of Doctors of Optometry in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease” located at http://www.HeartSmartEyeCare.com/optometrists.  For general information about the HeartSmart Eye Care Division please visit www.HeartSmartEyeCare.com.  HeartSmart Eye Care can also be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eye-Care-Professionals-Comm....

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About HeartSmart Technologies
HeartSmart Technologies is one of the world’s leading providers of cardiovascular risk assessments to cardiologists, internists and primary care physicians worldwide. The company is based in Irvine, California. For more information about HeartSmart Technologies please visit www.HeartSmartIMT.com.